Religion in Estonia

The majority of Estonians are not religious.

Religion plays an important role in life to only a minority of the population. Traditional religion of the Estonians is the Christian faith in the form of Lutheranism, as it is widespread in Scandinavia. Nevertheless, the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) is a quasi-official Church (for example, is usually the holding of religious services at Parliament opening) and its central figure, the Archbishop of the Estonian public religion. The EELK dominates the relatively comprehensive theologian trained in Estonia (in Tartu University and Tallinn at the Church College). Today, commit about 30% of the population as members of Christian churches or denominations. Of these:

* 13.6% Evangelical Lutheran
* 12.8% Orthodox
* 0.5% Baptists
* 0.5% Roman Catholic

The ten major Christian churches and communities have come together in the Council of Christian Churches in Estonia.

A special feature are the approximately 5,000 Old Believers, which since the 18th Centuries of persecution in the Russian heartland in the peripheral regions of the Russian Empire fled. On the Estonian shore of Lake Peipsi, there are numerous villages inhabited by Old Believers. Smaller communities also exist in Tallinn and Tartu.

In addition, 4210 of the public member of the Christian Community of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

There are also smaller communities of other Protestant, Jewish and Islamic communities. At the last census in 2000, Estonia officially gave 138 people (approximately 0.01% of the population) Hinduism as their religion: 90 Hindus (including 54 Estonians) and 48 followers of the Hare Krishna (movement including 22 Estonians). As an organization occurs in Estonia since 1991, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of Estonia (Estonian Eesti Krishna Teadvuse kogudus) in appearance.